Locking clothespin



Sept. 28, 1937. J. LEJA 2,094,544

LOCKING CLOTHESPIN Filed Sept. 29, 1956 Patented sept. 28, 1937 LO CKING CLOTHESPIN g Jzef Leja, Gallitzin, Pa., assgnor of one-half e t to Steve Barron, Johnstown, Pa. v Y.fipplieatfmn september 29, 1936, serial No. 103,194`

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 2li-*250) `This invention relates to' certain new and useful improvements in locking clothes pin.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clothes pin adapted for clamping or holding clothes or other articles upon a rope or line with a lock deviceassoclated with the clothes pin for moving the inherently resilient split legs thereof toward each other for retaining the clothes pin engaged with the clothes yand line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothespin of the foregoing character wherein the sp-lit legs of the clothes pin areadapted to be moved linto binding-or locking engagement with the vclothes line with clothes suspended thereon and also designed to have the free ends of the bifurcated legs thereof moved into engagement with clothes or other articles suspended on a clothes line against accidental escape.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawingz- Y Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a clothes pin constructed in accordance with the present invention, the same being illustrated as engaged with a portion of a clothes line with an article suspended on the line and retained thereon by the locking clothes pin;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the clothespin, the head thereof being shown in elevation and illustrating the locking device for the split legs of the clothes pin, a clothes line and article suspended thereon being shown in section with the clothes pin engaged therewith;l

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Y The clothes pin is preferably constructed of such material as wood and embodies a body portion 5 having a head G at one end thereof, the body portion being bifurcated at 'the opposite end thereof to provide a pair of inherentlyresilient parallel legs 1 and 8. lfhe inner opposed faces of the legs: 1 and 8 are matingly crenelated to provide alternate opposed recesses 9 and ridges I0, the extreme upper ends of the legs having the opposed inner faces thereof parallel as at II while the extreme outer ends of the inner faces of the legs 1 and 8 flare outwardly as at I2 to facilitate the placement of the clothes pin upon a 'clothes line. f Y

A locking or clamping devicev is associated with the. clothes pin legs1 and 8 for moving them into binding or clamping engagement with a clothes line and clothes suspended thereon as shown in Figures l and 2, the locking or clamping device including a rod I3 rectangular in cross section and extending through longitudinally extending slotted openings I4 in the legs 1 and 8; The rod I3 extends outwardly of the legs 1 and 8 and carries clamping plates I5 and I6 respectively upon opposite ends thereof for engagement with said legs, the end of the rod projecting through the leg 1 having an enlarged head I1 with a washer I8 interposed between the head and the clamping plate I5. A hand lever I9 is associated with the end of the rod I3 that projects through the clothes pin leg 3, the'lever I9 being bifurcated as at 20 at one end thereof forY straddling the adjacent projecting end of the rod I3 and attached thereto by means ofa pivot screw pin ZI as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bifurcated end 20 being constructed to provide a cam as shown at 22 in Figure 2 for moving the legs 'I and 8 toward eachother when the hand lever I9 is moved to the position shown in Figure 2, substantially parallel with the clothes pin.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a garment 23 or the like has one end thereof looped as at 24 around the clothes line 25 and the clothes pin is placed upon the clothes line andlooped portion 2d of the garment with the looped portion and clothes line disposed in mating recesses 9 substantially intermediate the ends of the legs 'I andi 8. j When the clothes pin is placed uponrthe line, the lever I9 is in the dotted line position shown in i Figure 2 and when the lever I9 is lowered to the full line position illustrated, a cam 22 upon the bifurcated end 20 thereof moves into engagement with the plate I6 -for drawing the rod I3 through the slots I4 of the legs and causing the legs to move toward each other and into clamping engagement with the looped end 24 of the garment and the clothes line 25. The hand lever I9 moves past dead center and accidental movement thereof to a releasing position is eliminated. The lower ridges I0 on the opposed faces of the legs 1 and 8 adjacent the flared ends I2 also grip the garment 23 at a point spaced from the clothes line 25 as shown in Figure 2 With the result that the garment 23 or the'like is securely retained on the'clothes line by the locking clothes pin.

y From the'above detailed description of the iny vention, it is believed that the construction and use thereof will at once be apparent and while UN1TED-sTATEs PATENT ortica there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:-

1. In a clothes pin of the character described, a body portion, bifurcated legs integral with and extending from the body portion and being longitudinally slotted, and means for variably tensioning the gripping action of the legs on a clothes line and article suspended thereon including a rod freely extending through the slots, a clamping plate on each end of the rod engaged with the outer side of an adjacent leg, a head at one end of the rod confining the adjacent plateY and a cam lever on the other end of the rod engageable with the other clamping plate and adapted for moving the legs towards each other into clamping engagement with a clothes line and garment suspended thereon, said rod, clamping plates and cam lever being adjustable longitudinally of the legs for varying the ,clamping tension of the legs outwardly of the rod.

2. In a clothes pin of the character described, a body portion, bifurcated legs carried thereby and being longitudinally slotted, a rod freely extending through the slots, a clamping plate on each end of the rod engaged with the outer side of an adjacent leg, a head at one end of the rod conning the adjacent plate and a cam lever on the other end of the rod engaged with the other clamping plate and adapted for moving the legs towards each other into clamping engagement with a clothes line and garment suspended thereon, said rod, clamping plates and cam lever being adjustable longitudinally of the legs for varying therclarnping tension of the legs outwardly of the rod, the inner opposed faces of the legs being crenelated to provide alternate mating recesses and ridges with a clothes line and garment fold being positioned in a pair of recesses inwardly of the outer ends of the legs.

' JOZEF LEJA. 

